Posts Tagged ‘Type 1 Diabetes’

I think I might have diabetes. I’m going to go to the doctor real soon. Until then I have a question I’d like answered. Can anyone tell me, that has type 1 diabetes, what lead you to believe you have it, like I researched a little bit and most of the things said alot of time people get had an illness of some sort that triggered it or something. Any help is greatly appreciated. Sorry about the bad grammar and punctuation.

I know that type 1 diabetes can’t be avoided, and it’s pretty much genetic. Also it’s most common in white people. But I’m black girl with no family history of type 1 diabetes. I’m the only person in my family that has it. Do you or anyone you know have the same situation, and do you know how I could’ve gotten it?

Will I have to go to the hospital if I am diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes? If so, what will I do there? Will they just teach me how to control my diabetes? Will they just monitor me? Will they do anything that hurts to me besides insulin injections, and checking my blood sugar?

I have Type 1 diabetes and am having trouble losing weight. I am just starting to take insulin to get my sugar under control and I seemed to have gained 7 pounds in a week despite exercising everyday and eating under 1300 calories for a week! Will I ever lose this weight or will I just keep gaining? Please help.

What happens to a person with type 1 diabetes who does not care for themselves?? HELP !!

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of people worldwide.  It is a permanent disease that requires to be constantly managed to avoid the many complications that it brings such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, lower-extremity amputations and in many cases even death.

Yet, despite the number of people suffering from diabetes, scientists and doctors have not yet discovered the root cause of this disease.  Needless to say, it is very important that people who suffer from diabetes monitor their health and seek medical help as soon as they notice changes in their body and unusual symptoms.

Diabetes occurs when the beta cells in the pancreas which produce the insulin are destroyed.  The absence of beta cells to produce insulin which transfers the glucose in the cells results to the sugar remaining in the blood.  And because the body cannot use the sugar, it is spilled over into the urine and lost.

People who notice certain symptoms which indicate the presence of diabetes should see a physician in order to receive a proper diagnosis. Some of the most common symptoms of diabetes are:

• excessive hunger and thirst
• frequent urination
• dramatic weight loss
• lack of energy
• dry skin
• wounds that do not heal
• nausea
• stomach pains

There are two main types of diabetes:

1.  Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is also called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or Juvenile-Onset diabetes.  It is a common disease in children and accounts for five to ten percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.  The factors which cause Type 1 diabetes are still unknown.  However, genetic predisposition and environmental factors, such as viral infections might have an important influence.

2.  Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes.  While it has been considered that certain races and ethnicities, such as African Americans, American Indians, Latino Americans are more exposed to get Type 2 diabetes than other people, this type of diabetes may also appear due to certain factors such as:

• older age
• obesity
• impaired glucose tolerance
• family history of diabetes
• physical inactivity
• prior history of gestational diabetes

3.  Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes, as the name implies, occurs during pregnancy.  About two to five percent of all pregnancies develop gestational diabetes.  While this usually disappears when the woman gives birth, she or the baby may develop Type 2 diabetes in the future.

4.  Other types of diabetes

There are other types of diabetes which account for one to two percent of all known cases of diabetes.  They may be caused by:

• genetic syndromes
• surgeries
• drugs
• malnutrition
• infections

Medical treatments for diabetes are vital for the body and include important changes in one’s lifestyle to be able to maintain blood glucose near normal levels at all times.

People who suffer from Type 1 diabetes need special treatment which includes:

• administration of insulin injections
• home blood glucose testing several times a day
• healthy diet
• physical exercise program

On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes requires a strict treatment which consists of:

• special diets
• physical activities
• home blood glucose testing
• oral medication

Only 40% of Type 2 diabetics require insulin injections.

In order to take care of the people who suffer from diabetes, the diabetes community offers, pursued by the US Department of Health and Human Services offer three options:

• prevent diabetes
• cure diabetes
• take better care of people with diabetes to prevent dramatic complications

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is involved in finding a cure for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes while the Center for Disease Control and Prevention focuses through their programs on ensuring that the proven science is put into daily practice for people with diabetes.

While diabetes may seem to be an incurable illness, be assured that the scientists and doctors are all trying to discover and consequently to utilize in practice several methods to cure diabetes.  This includes:  pancreas transplantation, artificial pancreas development, islet cell transplantation and genetic manipulation.

Do note however, that these approaches need to pass through a series of clinical studies, research and investigations before it can become a reality.  Some of the things they need to confirm are: preventing immune rejection, finding an adequate number of insulin cells, keeping cells alive and many others.

Both my husband and sister in law have type 1 diabetes. My husband develop type 1 diabetes when he was 5 years old, but his identical twin did not. His younger sister developed type 1 diabetes when she was 12 years old.

I have a 10 year old sister who has Type 1 diabetes.  She has had it for 3 years now.  She is experiencing a lot of stress and I would like to know what I can do to help her out.   Also, do you have any advice for her?

When you have type 1 diabetes, why does it matter if your blood sugar is high? What happens if you don’tt treat diabetes? What happens if you don’t take the shots or watch what you eat? Do you die?

The evidence seems to be growing that diabetes (especially Type 2 diabetes) is becoming an epidemic. The American’s coach potato lifestyle coupled with a penchant for high calorie and fatty food and an aversion to exercise contributes a lot to the spread of the disease. Ironically, it is no secret that the antidote for the disease is a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.

An estimated 21 million Americans are currently diabetic in addition to the 41 million who are suffering from pre-diabetic symptoms.  Surprisingly, majority of those who are pre-diabetic are not even aware of it yet.  Over the past decade, the rate of diabetes has increased to 80% in the US.  Yet most health officials still emphasize the threat of communicable diseases, which are far less deadly than chronic conditions such as diabetes.

If you ask a life insurance agent who has been in the business for a long time, they can attest that diabetics now make up a large percentage of their client base.  This is because the number of people diagnosed as diabetic or pre or borderline diabetic on life insurance exams has sky rocketed.

It is alarming to see how many diabetics are uninformed about their disease and express no interest in learning about their condition.  This is dangerous as they do not realize the dangers that come from the complications of diabetes.  They do not realize the fact that diabetes can have a compounding effect on other health issues which ultimately leads to a health decline which can lead to an early death.

Educating themselves on the dangers of diabetics and taking the situation seriously will reward them with a long and healthy life.  When they monitor their diabetes and take control of their hypertension and diet, they are rewarded not only with a healthy life but also with life insurance rates that reflect their concern with their own longevity. It should come as no surprise that life insurance companies reward those who have an interest in their own mortality.

While those who do not take care of themselves are usually still insurable, they often pay a premium that reflects the risks that they take.  Below are some of the things that contribute to higher rates:

• not understanding the disease
• not monitoring their glucose on a regular basis
• not changing your lifestyle
• not being compliant with your physicians suggestions

Pop Quiz

Below is a list of the things that diabetics are expected to know:

1.  Do you know what your hbA1C, or A1C level is? Do you even know what it is referring to?

The A1C, a test done by your physician every time you have a checkup is a measure of how well you are controlling your diabetes. Blood glucose binds to the hemoglobin through a process called glycosylation. The higher the blood sugar is, the more the glucose binds to the hemoglobin. A blood test can measure the amount of glycosylation that has occurred revealing the average blood glucose levels for the previous three to four months before the test.

2.  Do you understand why this is important to you?

With a healthy A1C level of say, 6.5 or less, you know that your glucose is staying in check over long periods. Do not fool yourself into believing that the glucose reading you took before breakfast this morning is indicative of where your glucose is all the time.

For example, if you took your glucose before breakfast and the reading is 110, we can assume that your A1C is 7.5. That would indicate that your average glucose over the last 3 months is around 165.  So, if the average is 165 and the low end is 110, that means that there are many times when your glucose is well over 200.  This is not a healthy level.

3.  What are the complications of type 2 diabetes? What really worries life insurance underwriters?

This list came from the American Diabetes Association website. www.diabetes.org:

• Heart Disease and Stroke

Diabetes carries an increased risk for heart attack, stroke, and complications related to poor circulation.  This is why people with diabetes need to be mindful of  heart and blood vessel disease.

• Kidney Disease

Diabetes can damage the kidneys.  This can cause the kidneys to fail and can also make them lose their ability to filter out waste products.

• Eye Complications

Diabetes can cause eye problems which may lead to blindness. Moreover, people with diabetes have a higher risk of blindness than people without diabetes. Early detection and treatment of eye problems definitely helps in saving their eyesight.

• Diabetic Neuropathy and Nerve Damage

One of the most common complications of diabetes is diabetic neuropathy which damages the nerves that run throughout the body, connecting the spinal cord to muscles, skin, blood vessels, and other organs.

• Foot Complications

It is important that diabetics learn how to protect their feet as there is a tendency to develop different foot problems. Foot problems most often happen when there is nerve damage in the feet or when blood flow is poor. Learn how to protect your feet by following some basic guidelines.

• Skin Complications

Skin problems are often the first sign that a person has diabetes.  In fact, as many as one-third of people with diabetes will have a skin disorder caused or affected by diabetes at some time in their lives. Luckily, most skin conditions can be prevented or easily treated if caught early.

• Gastroparesis and Diabetes

Gastroparesis is a disorder that affects people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

• Depression

While feeling down once in a while is normal, some people feel depressed over a long period of time.  There is a feeling of gloom and hopelessness.  If this feeling does not go away for at least two weeks, it is a sign that could lead to serious depression.

Life Insurance for a Type 2 Diabetic

Ultimately there is good news for type 2 diabetics working to acquire life insurance. With improvements in treatment and all of the available diabetic education, you can control your condition and to a great extent control your ability to get affordable life insurance.

Life Insurance for Type 1 Diabetics

Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes and occurs when there is an absence of insulin in the body.  It is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s defense system attacks some of the body’s own cells.  The cells in the pancreas that make insulin are destroyed which makes them unable to make insulin.

While we do not know exactly how this happens, we do know that some people are born with a higher risk of developing diabetes and there is nothing we can do to prevent it from happening.

There are only two options left for a Type 1 diabetic:

• Control their diabetes

Persistent monitoring and treatment as well as a healthy diet are vital to controlling diabetes.  It is important that they persistently monitor their glucose levels and be very committed to administering their insulin as prescribed.

In addition, a good and healthy diet will pay off.   And contrary to popular perception, there is no diabetes diet. Diabetes doesn’t have to eat bland, boring foods.  Instead, what they need to eat are more fruits, vegetables and whole grains foods that are high in nutrition and low in fat and calories.  They need to eat fewer animal products and sweets.   If you think about it, this is the same diet that everyone should follow.

• Not take their disease seriously

Any diabetic who is looking to have a long-term and life-long health problem can opt to remain in the dark and not take their disease seriously.  Some of the things they can do are to:

• occasionally checking their glucose
• not adapt a healthy lifestyle
• take insulin only when they think they need it

Keep in mind that while Type 1 diabetes is different from Type 2 diabetes, it often has many of the same complications.  The long-term effects of an uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes are at best damaging and at worst deadly.

This is the reason why life insurance underwriters pay special attention to the type of compliance that you adhere to with regards to your doctor and dietitian’s orders.  The type of control you have achieved and maintained with your glucose levels also counts to the life insurance underwriters.

Do not think that you will impress a life insurance underwriter or agent by telling them your most recent glucose reading was 98.  While that may signify control, it might also be a well-timed glucose check. The real story comes from your regular lab work and the test that reveals all secrets, the hbA1C.

Doctors and Life Insurance Underwriters Unite

Keep in mind that both your doctor and your life insurance underwriter are preaching from the same book.  The constant order is to control your diabetes.

Here are some of the long term complications for not doing so:

• Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease
• Nerve damage (neuropathy)
• Kidney damage (nephropathy)
• Eye damage (diabetic retinopathy)
• Osteoporosis
• Several skin conditions

On the other hand, some short term complications include:

• low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• high blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
• a high level of ketones in your urine (diabetic ketoacidosis)

Keep in mind that these complications require immediate care.  If left untreated, these conditions can cause seizures and loss of consciousness (coma).

In summary, the conditions of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes should be taken seriously.  The consequences of not doing so can be disastrous and deadly.  This fact is not lost on the people who decide what rate you are going to pay for life insurance.  While diabetes does not preclude getting life insurance at competitive and good rates, poorly controlled diabetes, for abundantly obvious reasons, may very well make life insurance expensive and even unattainable.